Portable power solutions

ABSTRACT

The system includes a device activation module and a system monitoring module in resources accessible to the system operator over the wide area network. In one embodiment, the method operates to process collateral received by the resources from a client device possessed by a user interested in activating an AC output included in a charger selected by the user from the plurality of portable chargers. Further, if the collateral is accepted, an authorization is wirelessly communicated from the device activation module to the client device, a device activation signal wirelessly communicated from the client device following a receipt of the authorization is received by the charger selected by the user, and the AC output included in the charger selected by the user is activated following a receipt of the device activation signal.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/439,419, entitled “PORTABLE POWERSOLUTIONS,” filed on Dec. 27, 2016. This application is also acontinuation-in-part of each of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/614,737,entitled “APPARATUS, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SHARING TANGIBLE OBJECTS,”filed Jun. 6, 2017, and U.S. application Ser. No. 15/614,756, entitled“APPARATUS, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DEVICE ACTIVATION,” filed Jun. 6,2017, each of which also claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/346,083, entitled “APPARATUS, SYSTEMAND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING AND MONITORING DEVICE CHARGERS,” filed Jun.6, 2016, U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/358,598, entitled“APPARATUS, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DEVICE ACTIVATION,” filed Jul. 6,2016, and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/439,419. Thedisclosure of each of the preceding applications is herein incorporatedby reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 1. Field of Invention

This invention relates generally to systems, apparatus and methods forportable power solutions. More specifically, at least one embodiment,relates to systems, apparatus and methods that provide portable chargingsolutions suitable for recharging devices that employ AC chargingcircuitry.

2. Discussion of Related Art

Portable electronic devices such as laptops, tablet computers,smartphones and other portable end-user computing devices arecommonplace at home, school and the office. These devices typicallyrequire an AC power source for recharging. The quantity of power outletsavailable in a residence is usually sufficient for connecting thevariety of the end-user devices found there. However, other more denselypopulated facilities often lack the infrastructure required to supportan AC power connection for the devices employed by the majority ofoccupants. Such facilities can include classrooms, co-working spaces,libraries, airports or other transportation hubs, coffee shops andrestaurants.

In legacy facilities (for example, a university classroom built morethan 15 or 20 years ago), retrofitting a single facility to add AC poweroutlets for the dense occupancy found in the facility can cost millionsof dollars.

Some approaches employ portable power chargers provided via a kiosk,however, these approaches do not provide chargers that include AC outputcurrent. In addition, kiosks can take up a substantial amount of spaceat a facility. The space allocation for the kiosk must compete withexisting infrastructure already in place. Other approaches employ a“lock-box” type solution that can temporarily leave the user withoutaccess to their portable electronic device during recharging. Theseapproaches also do not provide any AC output. Thus, a user of a laptopcomputer typically must locate a wall outlet as a source of chargingpower. Of course, wall outlets are limited in number and only availablein fixed locations.

Current portable charging solutions can include an integral battery witha hardwired connection for charging the charger, and one or morehardwired connections (for example, cables and/or ports) for theconnection of the device to be charged. These chargers sometimes nowinclude inductive charging options. Inductive charging employs anelectromagnetic field to transfer energy from the charger to the devicebeing charged through electromagnetic induction. An inductive couplingbetween coils included in the two devices operate to transfer energy(transmit/receive) used to charge batteries included in the portabledevice.

Some portable chargers can be stored on a charging station with thechargers stacked one upon another. Such an approach can createchallenges in configuring chargers that accurately sense when they arestacked on an adjacent charger and/or have an adjacent charger stackedon them. The preceding requires a more sophisticated “charging logic”than included in some portable chargers. The addition of inductivecharging further increases the complexity and has yet to be addressedfor stackable, portable chargers.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Therefore, there is a need for systems, apparatus and methods thatprovide portable charging solutions for facilities that requireadditional AC power outlets to meet the demand of the occupants of thefacility. Embodiments described herein provide systems for monitoringand management of portable power chargers that provide AC power chargingat nominal voltage and power levels required for all of today's mostpopular hand held electronic devices. For example, a 120 VAC, 75 Wattpower supply is required to charge today's MacBook Pro. Approachesdescribed herein provide cloud-based resources that allow a systemoperator to seamlessly deploy chargers that meet the precedingrequirement. In various embodiments, the system operator can monitor andmanagement the deployed-chargers remotely using the cloud-basedresources as described herein.

Further, there is a need for systems, apparatus and methods that provideportable, stackable chargers including an inductive charging feature.Some embodiments described herein provide portable, stackable chargerswith an AC output capable of charging a laptop. In further embodiments,these chargers include inductive charging capabilities. In still furtherembodiments, the portable, stackable chargers include circuitry thateasily allows the chargers to complete an electrical connection withchargers that are immediately adjacent to them when stacked one uponanother.

In one aspect, a system for remote monitoring and management of chargersprovides an AC output in a portable, hand-held form factor where themonitoring and management functionality is accessible to a systemoperator over a wide area network. According to some embodiments, thesystem includes a plurality of portable chargers each having an internalbattery, a first charging output coupled to the internal battery andconfigured to provide AC charging power and at least one additionalcharging output coupled to the internal battery, the at least oneadditional charging output selected from a group consisting of: aninductive charger and a plug-in DC charger. The system also includes anenclosure coupled to a source of AC power suitable for recharging theplurality of portable chargers, the enclosure including a plurality ofbays each configured to receive one of the plurality of portablechargers, respectively, each of the plurality of bays including anelectrical connection configured to couple to the internal battery ofthe respective portable charger to provide power to recharge theinternal battery; and resources accessible to the system operator overthe wide area network to allow the system operator to monitor and managean operation of the plurality of portable chargers. According to oneembodiment, the resources include a device activation module configuredto permit users to activate a charger selected from the plurality ofportable chargers following a receipt of collateral provided by the uservia a client device, the device activation resulting in charging powerbeing made available at each of the first charging output and the atleast one additional charging output; and a system monitoring moduleconfigured to provide the system operator with information concerning anoperational status of each of the plurality of portable chargers, theoperational status including information selected from a groupconsisting of: usage statistics, a projected life of the internalbattery, and a current charge status of the internal battery.

According to one embodiment, the client device is a first wirelesscommunication device configured to wirelessly couple to the resourcesand the system further includes a second wireless communication deviceconfigured to wirelessly couple to the plurality of portable chargers.In one version, the second wireless communication device is configuredto wirelessly communicate the information concerning the operationalstatus to the system monitoring module.

According to a further embodiment, the device activation module isconfigured to communicate a device activation signal to client device,and the charger selected from the plurality of chargers is configured toprovide power at the first charging output and at the at least oneadditional charging output when the device activation signal is receivedfrom the client device. In a still further embodiment, the deviceactivation module is configured to maintain the charger selected fromthe plurality of chargers in an off-state pending an acceptance of thecollateral provided by the user.

According to still another embodiment, the device activation module isconfigurable by the system operator to accept collateral of apre-determined type selected by the system operator. According to afurther embodiment, the pre-determined type of collateral is selectedfrom a group consisting of: a monetary payment; an interaction by theuser with content hosted on the resources and delivered to the clientdevice; an authenticated identity of the user; and payment-accountinformation of the user. Depending on the embodiment, the pre-determinedcollateral can include any one of the preceding, any combination of thepreceding, other forms of collateral that can be evaluated using thecloud-based resources or any combination of the preceding and one ormore of the other forms of collateral.

According to yet another embodiment, the resources include a usermanagement module configured to allow each of a plurality of users toestablish an account to uniquely identity the user, respectively, andthe user management module is accessible to the system operator toestablish one or more permissions for each of the plurality of users,the permissions established by the system operator based on conditionsselected from a group consisting of: acceptance of a user identity; anidentification of a geographic location of the plurality of portablechargers accessible to the respective user; and a venue accessible tothe respective user.

According to various embodiments, the first charging output isconfigured to provide 120 VAC charging power rated at 75 Watts orgreater.

According to another aspect, a method of remotely monitoring andmanaging, over a wide area network, an operation and deployment of aplurality of portable chargers each providing an AC output in ahand-held form factor by a system operator is provided. According tosome embodiments, the system includes a device activation module and asystem monitoring module in resources accessible to the system operatorover the wide area network. In one embodiment, the method operates toprocess collateral received by the resources from a client devicepossessed by a user interested in activating an AC output included in acharger selected by the user from the plurality of portable chargers.Further, if the collateral is accepted, an authorization is wirelesslycommunicated from the device activation module to the client device, adevice activation signal wirelessly communicated from the client devicefollowing a receipt of the authorization is received by the chargerselected by the user, and the AC output included in the charger selectedby the user is activated following a receipt of the device activationsignal.

According to one embodiment, the method includes coupling each of theplurality of portable chargers to a wireless communication device whenthe plurality of chargers are deployed, and receiving, by the systemmonitoring module, information communicated wirelessly from the wirelesscommunication device the information concerning an operational status ofeach of the plurality of portable chargers, the operational statusincluding information selected from a group consisting of: usagestatistics, a projected life of the internal battery, and a currentcharge status of the internal battery.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale. In thedrawings, each identical or nearly identical component that isillustrated in various figures is represented by a like numeral. Forpurposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled in everydrawing. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates a charging system in accordance with one embodiment;

FIG. 2 illustrates a portable charger in accordance with one embodiment;

FIG. 3 illustrates a bottom view of a portable charger in accordancewith a further embodiment;

FIG. 4 illustrates a plan view of the portable charger illustrated inFIG. 3 in accordance with one embodiment;

FIG. 5 illustrates a process concerning configuration and operation of aportable charger in accordance with one embodiment;

FIG. 6 illustrates a process concerning configuration and operation of abase station in accordance with one embodiment; and

FIG. 7 illustrates a system including a network operating environmentfor monitoring portable power chargers in accordance with oneembodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This invention is not limited in its application to the details ofconstruction and the arrangement of components set forth in thefollowing description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention iscapable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carriedout in various ways. Also, the phraseology and terminology used hereinis for the purpose of description and should not be regarded aslimiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having,”“containing,” “involving,” and variations thereof herein, is meant toencompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well asadditional items.

FIG. 1 illustrates a charging system 100 in an embodiment that includesa base station 102, a power cord 104, a first portable charger 106A anda second portable charger 106B. The power cord 104 connects the basestation 102 to a power source, for example, via plugging the power cord104 into an AC power outlet. The base station 102 includes a housinghaving a top surface 103. Each portable charger 106A, 106B includes ahousing having a top surface 107, and a bottom surface 108. In theillustrated embodiment, the bottom surface of the first portable charger106A is not identified because it rests on the top surface 103 of thebase station 102.

The top surface 107A of the first portable charger 106A includes a firstset of electrical connections 110. In the illustrated embodiment, thefirst set of electrical connections 110 includes a connection in eachcorner of the charger 106A, for example, the first set of electricalconnections 110A, 110B, 110C and 110D. A similar set of electricalconnections 110 is included at the top surface 107B of the secondportable charger 106B.

The bottom surface 108 of the second portable charger 106B includes asecond set of electrical connections 112. In the illustrated embodiment,the second set of electrical connections 112 includes a connection ineach corner of the charger 106B. As illustrated, the second set ofelectrical connections 112 includes electrical connections 112A, 112Band 112C. According to one embodiment, a fourth electrical connection isincluded at the rear corner on the bottom surface 108 of the secondportable charger 106B. A similar set of electrical connections 112 isincluded at the bottom surface of the first portable charger 106A.

Depending upon the embodiment, the quantity and configuration of theelectrical connections can vary. In general, the polarity of theconnections should be matched for proper operation. For example, wherethe electrical connections 110, 112 are employed in a DC power circuit,a positive pole included in the electrical connections on a firstportable charge should be connected to a positive pole on a secondportable charger. Similar, with the two portable chargers docked on uponthe other, a connection of the negative poles of the respective portablechargers should be completed. Where the housing provides the portablechargers with an overall symmetrical shape, portable chargers may bestacked one upon another with the chargers in more than one rotationalposition relative to one another. For example, the chargers can berotated about a vertical axis centrally located relative to the stack ofchargers. The preceding can also occur for non-symmetrically shapedhousings. For example, a housing having an overall rectangular shape canbe docked (or nested together) in two positions separated from oneanother by 180° of rotation. Approaches described herein provideerror-free approaches to maintain the correct connection between thepoles of the circuitry that connects one charger to the next.

Each of the first set of electrical connections 110 and the second setof electrical connections 112 include a contact surface, respectively.In addition, the first set of electrical connections 110 can includestructure, for example, a size and/or shape, to align and engage withthe second set of electrical connections 112 when adjacent portablechargers are stacked one upon another. According to one embodiment, thefirst set of electrical connections 110 are provided in a “female”configuration and the second set of electrical connections 112 areprovided in a “male” configuration. According to one embodiment, theshape of the top surface 107 of the portable charging station isconfigured to facilitate an alignment of the electrical connections. Forexample, each of the first set of electrical connections 110 can beincluded in a recess, respectively, on the top surface 107. Similarly,each of the second set of electrical connections 112 can be included ona projection, respectively, on the bottom surface 108.

According to various embodiments, the base station 102 includescircuitry employed to convert AC power supplied to the base station 102to DC power suitable for charging a plurality of portable chargersconnected to the base station 102. Depending on the embodiment, the basestation 102 can employ physical contacts to connect to compatiblephysical connections included on an underside of the portable charger106A, for example, second electrical connections 112 located on theunderside of the portable charger 106A. In other embodiments, the basestation 102 can employ inductive charging such that a wireless powercharging connection is completed between the base station 102 and theportable charger 106A with the charger 106A placed on the top surface103 of the base station 102. In still another embodiment, the system 100includes the base station 102 and the portable chargers 106,respectively, each incorporating both physical contacts for a directconnection in charging circuitry and inductive charging circuitry forwireless power transfer.

In operation, the base station 102 is connected to a source of AC power.Typically, the AC power is converted to DC power suitable for use incharging the connected portable charger(s) 106 by a direct electricalconnection. Where the base station 102 includes inductive charging(alternatively or in addition to the preceding), the DC power isconverted to high frequency AC power for wireless transmission to areceiving coil in the portable charger 106.

The first portable charger 106A is placed on the top surface 103 of thebase station 102. The second portable charger 106B is placed on the topsurface 107A of the first portable charger 106A. In various embodiments,additional portable chargers can be placed one upon another to increasethe height of the stack of portable chargers 106 located on the basestation 102. According to various embodiments, charging power istransferred from the base station to the uppermost portable charger 106Blocated on the stack via any portable charger located between the basestation and the uppermost portable charger on the stack. For example,according to one embodiment, charging power is transferred from the basestation 102 to the second portable charger 106B via the first portablecharger 106A in the system 100 illustrated in FIG. 1. Thus, the maximumcurrent carrying capacity provided to conduct power from the second setof electrical contacts 112 to the first set of electrical contacts 110can limit the number of portable chargers 106 that can be included inany one stack.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a portable charger 206 is illustrated inaccordance with one embodiment. According to the illustrated embodiment,the portable charger 206 includes a housing having an upper surface 107,a bottom surface 108 and a storage recess 118. The portable charger 206also includes the first set of electrical contacts 110, the second setof electrical contacts 112, an inductive-power transmitter 114, acharging cable 116, a power outlet 120, a first power port 122 and asecond power port 124.

In the illustrated embodiment, the portable charger 206 is configured tohave a square, rectangular or otherwise parallelogram-shape. The charger206 includes a first side wall 126 and a second side wall 128. Thestorage recess 118 is located in the first side wall and is configuredto store the charging cable 116 within the housing while leaving thecable 116 easily accessible for use when needed. In various embodiments,the portable charger can include a plurality of charging cables toprovide connections for a variety of types of connectors. In still otherembodiments, the portable charger 206 only provides plug-in receptacleconnections and cables are not included. According to the illustratedembodiment, the power outlet 120 is also located in the first side wallfor a direct connection of external devices to a source of powerincluded in the portable charger 206. In some embodiments, the source ofpower available at the outlet 120 is a high-current AC power, forexample, high-current power provided at 120 VAC. Each of the first powerport 122 and the second power port 124 are located in the second sidewall. According to various embodiments, the first power port 122 and thesecond power port 124 are configured as USB ports. In a furtherembodiment, the first power port 122 is a conventional USB port rated at5 VDC up to 3 Amps while the second power port 124 includes a“quickcharge” feature, for example, Qualcomm® Quick Charge® technology.

Depending on the embodiment, the housing can be provided in othershapes. For example, in an alternate embodiment the portable charger 206is provided in a disk-shape. In various embodiments, the housing of theportable power charger 206 can be manufactured from plastic, forexample, ABS or metal such as aluminum or steel.

In various embodiments, the portable charger 206 provides multiple typesof connections for use with a variety of portable electronic devices.For example, the charging cable 116 can include a connector 117 suitablefor use with electrical connectors included in Apple devices, forexample, the Apple Lighting connector, the Apple 30-pin connector, etc.The charging cable can also include non-proprietary connectors 117, forexample, mini-USB, micro-USB, USB-A, USB-B and USB-C connectors or otherstyles and types of connectors in a male configuration. Similarly, thefirst port 122 and the second port 124 can include the same or differenttypes of connectors, for example, in a female configuration. Examplesinclude mini-USB, micro-USB, USB-A, USB-B and USB-C. The precedingexamples are non-limiting as the connectors can be configured for thehardwired connections that support power transfer to a selected set ofportable electronic devices. Depending on the embodiment, the poweroutput of the portable charger 206 is provided in a DC voltage suitablefor connection to the portable electronic device to be charged. Forexample, where the portable device is an iPhone or iPad the DC outputcan be provided at a nominal 5 VDC. Higher output voltages can beprovided (for example, 12 VDC) depending on the embodiment.

The availability of AC power outputs is advantageous for chargingportable electronic devices because AC power conversion/transfer is moreubiquitous across a multitude of battery-powered devices such as mobilephones and laptop computers as two examples. According to variousembodiments, the power outlet 120 includes a type A plug socket or atype B plug socket rated 120 VAC/150 VDC, typically employed in NorthAmerica. In other embodiments, the power outlet 120 includes a type Cplug socket, a type F plug socket (typically employed in Europe) or thetype A socket rated 230 VAC/300 VDC. Thus, the portable charger 206 candeliver AC power at 50 W or more. In some embodiments, the charger 206includes a hi-power DC output source. According to further embodiments,the portable charger 206 includes at least two power outlets 120 where afirst power outlet provides AC power and a second power outlet provideshi-power DC power. In still another embodiment, multiple AC poweroutlets and/or multiple DC power outlets can be included in the portablecharger 206.

The above-described AC version of the power outlet 120 is well matchedto the needs of today's device-owners. For example, the portable charger120 can be provided to students using laptop computers where a collegeclassroom lacks outlets distributed throughout the classroom. A system100 including a plurality of chargers can be provided at or near anentrance to the classroom to allow students to carry a source of 120 VACcharging power to their seat to operate their laptop. The 120 VACconfiguration may also allow the students to charge any of the mobiledevices in their possession. The stackable configuration illustrated inFIG. 1 facilitates the preceding in a manner that occupies a minimumamount of space. In addition, the base station 102 is the only elementincluded in the system 100 that requires a power outlet.

In systems 100 where inductive power transfer is employed, the portablepower chargers 206 include the inductive-power transmitter 114 locatedat the top surface 107, and an inductive-power receiver (notillustrated) located at the bottom surface 108. In practice, theinductive-power transmitters and receivers are located at or just belowthe associated top surface 107 and bottom surface 108, respectively.According to various embodiments, the maximum distance that the coil islocated beneath the surface is provided to maintain an inductivecoupling between adjacent devices when a first device is placed on asecond device (portable chargers and/or portable electronic devices). Inone embodiment, the maximum distance is 5 mm. In various embodiments,the transmitter includes a coil employed to generate and wirelesslytransmit a high frequency AC power signal. The receiver includes a coilto receive the high frequency AC power signal and communicate the powerto circuitry included in the portable power charger for conversion toDC. According to some embodiments, the transmitting and receiving coilsare provided as a planar power coil, respectively. Where the portablepower chargers 206 include inductive power circuitry the housing can bemanufactured from plastic or other non-conductive material that will notinterfere with the wireless power transfer.

According to various embodiments, the inductive system included in theportable charger 206 employs the Qi standard. According to theseembodiments, the inductive system transfers energy between devices at orbelow 15 W.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, a portable charger 306 is illustrated inan embodiment in which chargers as described with reference to FIG. 2can be configured in a stackable array for recharging when docked on abase station. FIG. 3 illustrates the underside of the portable charger306 including a lower electrical contact region 325, a first conductiveregion 326, an insulator 328 and a second conductive region 330. Theportable charger 306 also includes a base 332 that forms a bottomsurface 333 (see FIG. 4). FIG. 4 illustrates a plan view of a firstportable charger 306A and a second portable charger 306B in accordancewith one embodiment. As illustrated, the first portable charger 306A ispartially removed from the stack of chargers with an arrow Arepresenting a direction of removal (upward) or reconnection (downward)relative to the lowermost charger, the second portable charger 306B.

The portable charger 306 also includes an upper electrical contactregion 334 and a recess 336. The recess 336 is formed in the top side ofthe portable charger 306 and the upper electrical contact region 334forms a rim around an outer edge of the recess 336. According to theillustrated embodiment, the upper electrical contact region 334 includesthree elements similar to those described with reference to the lowerelectrical contact region 325. For example, a radially outward portionof the upper electrical contact region 334 includes a first conductiveregion and a radially inward portion of the upper electrical contactregion 334 includes a second conductive region. In one embodiment, aninsulator is located between the first and second conductive regionsincluded in the upper electrical contact region in a manner similar tothe insulator 328 included in the lower electrical contact region. Abase station (for example, the base station 102) for use with a portabledocking station (for example, the portable docking station 306) caninclude structure corresponding to the upper electrical contact surface334 and the recess 336 included in the portable docking station 306.

According to one embodiment, the first conductive region 326 and thesecond conductive region 330 provide access to a DC power circuitlocated in the portable charger 306. For example, the first and secondconductive regions 326, 330, respectively, provide access to one of apositive and a negative DC pole included in charging and/or powertransmission circuit. Corresponding conductive regions located in theupper electrical contact region 334 are configured to provide a suitablematch with the lower electrical contact region. For example, where thefirst conductive region 326 provides access to a positive DC pole andthe second conductive region 330 provides access to a negative DC pole,the corresponding conductive regions included in the upper electricalcontact 334 are configured to match. As a result, the contact region forthe positive pole of each electrical contact region 325, 334 are placedin contact with one another when the first portable charger 306A isstacked on the second portable charger 306B. Similarly, the contactregion for the negative pole of each electrical contact region 325, 334are placed in contact with one another with the first portable charger306A stacked on the second portable charger 306B.

The location, size and shape of the lower electrical contact region 325,the upper electrical contact region 334, the base 332 and the recess 336provide for a user-friendly alignment that can be easily completed withthe correct electrical polarity. For example, with the second portablecharger 306B located on the base station, the base 332 of first portablecharger 306A is located within the recess 336B included in the secondportable charger 306B. With the first portable charger 306A resting ontop of the second portable charger 306A, the lower electrical contactregion 325A of the first charger 306A is placed in contact with theupper electrical contact region 334B of the second charger 306B whilemaintaining the correct polarity as described above.

According to an alternate embodiment, the mechanical design featuresillustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 are provided simply as an alignmentmechanism. According to these embodiments, the portable chargers 306Aand 306B include the lower region 325, the base 332, the upper region334 and the recess 336 but omit the electrical contacts in each of thelower region 325 and the upper region 334. In the absence of conductivematerial in these regions, the structure provides a user-friendlyalignment mechanism. In these embodiments, another style of contact isemployed to complete an electrical connection to the portable charger,for example, the first set of electrical connections 110 and the secondset of electrical connections 112.

In addition to the ease of docking/stacking portable charging stations,embodiments of the portable chargers 306 illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4are also advantageous because they provide an error-proof means ofcorrectly connecting the DC power circuitry of adjacent chargers to oneanother. A system that employs a base and a stacked configuration forsimultaneously recharging multiple portable chargers requires that thepolarity of the connected chargers is correct throughout the stack. Therectangular shape of the embodiments illustrated herein while notsymmetrical creates the same challenge because the chargers can bestacked in more than one configuration in which the mechanicalconnection is mechanically “correct.” For example, the chargersillustrated herein can be rotated 180 degrees and still nest with oneanother. The configuration of the upper and lower electrical contactsurfaces located 360 degrees about the circumference of the chargersprovide a fail-safe electrical interface that always connects to theadjacent chargers with the correct DC polarity when the portablechargers are stacked together in either of the two rotational positionsin which the portable chargers nest together. Thus, the shape andlocation of the electrical contact regions 325, 334 provides a fail-safeconnection in the correct polarity while avoiding the need to employdetents or other mechanical structure to orient the chargers with thecorrect connections.

The preceding allows for a power transfer from a base station to a firstportable charger located lowermost in a stack of portable chargers, forexample, the first portable charger 106A illustrated in FIG. 1. Powercan be transferred up the stack via engagement of the upper contactregion 334 with the lower contact region 325 of the second portablecharger 106B. Power can be transferred to one or more portable chargersfurther up the stack in a similar manner.

Referring now to FIG. 5, a process 500 for configuration and operationof portable chargers 106, 206 and 306 is illustrated in accordance withvarious embodiments. In general, the process 500 is employed with aportable charger that includes a combination of one or more of DC inputterminals, an inductive input and an inductive output. The DC inputterminals and the inductive input can be used to charge the portablecharger when it is located at the base station 102. Further, the process500 is suitable for use with a portable charger located directly on thebase station 102 (for example, the first portable charger 106A) or aportable charger stacked on one or more chargers located beneath it (forexample, the second portable charger 106B). The process 500 can also beemployed with portable chargers that include one or more hardwiredoutputs used to charge portable electronic devices. Depending on theembodiment, the outputs can include DC outputs and/or AC outputsincluding high-current power provided at 120 VAC.

The process 500 includes a series of acts including decision points andactivities. The decision points include an act 506 to determine whetherthe battery included in the portable charger is fully charged, an act508 to determine whether the portable charger includes DC inputterminals, an act 510 to determine whether the DC input terminals, ifincluded, are enabled, an act 512 to determine whether the portablecharger includes an inductive input, an act 514 to determine whether theinductive input, if included, is enabled, an act 516 to determinewhether the portable charger includes an inductive output, an act 518 todetermine whether the inductive output, if included, is enabled and anact 520 to determine whether the portable charger detects anotherportable charger adjacent to it.

As explained in detail below, the illustrated embodiment includes thefollowing activities in the process 500: an act 522 to place theportable charger in an induction input only, an act 524 to disable allinputs, an act 526 to enable the DC input, an act 528 to place theportable charger in a DC input only mode, an act 530 to enable theinductive input, an act 532 to activate the portable charger inductiveoutput sensing, an act 534 to disable the inductive power transmissionfrom the portable charger and an act 536 to enable inductive powertransmission.

According to the illustrated embodiment, the process 500 starts at act502 where the charging circuitry configuration begins. At act 506 adetermination is made concerning whether the battery included in theportable charger is fully charged. If the battery is not fully charged,the process 500 moves to act 508 where a determination is made whetherthe portable charger includes DC input terminals. If the portablecharger includes DC input terminals, the process 500 moves to act 510 todetermine whether the DC input terminals are enabled. If the DC inputterminals are enabled, the process 500 moves to act 512 to determinewhether the portable charger includes an inductive input. If theportable charger includes an inductive input, the process 500 moves toact 514 to determine whether the inductive input is enabled.

At this point in the process 500, the input hardware configuration ofthe portable charger is known, for example, whether the portable chargerincludes DC input terminals and/or inductive inputs that can be employedto charge the internal battery, whether the input hardware is in anactive state and also the charge-status of the battery located in theportable charger. In addition, however, the process 500 is employed toconfigure the operating state of the inputs. If at act 506 it isdetermined that the battery in the portable charger is fully charged theprocess moves to act 524 because active inputs are unnecessary given thefully charged status of the battery.

If at act 508 a determination is made that DC input terminals are notincluded in the portable charger, the process 500 moves to act 522 wherethe portable charger is placed in an induction input only mode. Theprocess 500 then continues to act 514 to determine whether the inductiveinput is enabled. If at act 514 it is determined that the inductiveinput is not enabled, the process 500 moves to act 530 where theinductive input is enabled. The process then returns to act 502. If atact 514 it is determined that the inductive input is already enabled,the process 500 moves to act 516 which is described further below.

If at act 510 it is determined that the DC input is not enabled, theprocess 500 moves to act 526 where the DC input included in the chargeris enabled and the process returns to act 502. As described above, if atact 510 it is determined that the DC input is already enabled, theprocess 500 moves to act 512. If at act 512 a determination is made thatthe portable charger does not include an inductive input the processmoves to act 528 where the charger is placed in a DC input only mode.The process then returns to act 502. If at act 512 a determination ismade that the portable charger includes an inductive input, the process500 moves to act 514. If at act 514 it is determined that the inductiveinput is not enabled, the process 500 moves to act 530 where theinductive input is enabled. The process then returns to act 502.

If at act 514 it is determined that the inductive input is enabled, theprocess 500 moves to act 516 to determine whether the portable chargeralso includes an inductive output. The process 500 returns to act 502 ifit is determined that the charger does not include an inductive output.If at act 516 a determination is made that the portable charger includesan inductive output, the process 500 moves to act 518 to determinewhether the inductive output is enabled. If at act 518 it is determinedthat the inductive input is not enabled, the process 500 moves to act538 where the inductive output sensing circuitry is enabled. The processthen returns to act 502. If at act 518 it is determined that theinductive input is enabled, the process 500 moves to act 532 where theportable charger's inductive output sensing is activated. The inductiveoutput sensing circuitry enables the portable charger to detect thepresence of a second portable charger located adjacent the firstportable charger such that an inductive coupling can be established toallow the second charger to receive charging power from the firstcharger via the inductive output.

Following act 532 the process 500 moves to the act 520 to determinewhether an adjacent portable charger is detected. If an adjacentportable charger is not detected, the process 500 moves to act 534 wherethe inductive transmit feature included in the portable charger isdisabled. Alternatively, if an adjacent portable charger is detected,the process 500 moves to act 536 where the inductive transmit feature isenabled. The process 500 moves to the act 502 following either of theacts 534 and 536.

In various embodiments, the portable chargers employing the process 500can also determine whether the charger is located on the base station.For example, in embodiments in which the charger includes DC inputterminals, the circuitry included in the portable charger detects DCvoltage on the stack through direct connection. In embodiments in whichwireless charging is employed, the wireless receiver on the chargersenses the wireless transmission from the station (or from a chargerthat is located directly below it).

Referring now to FIG. 6, a process 600 for configuration and operationof a base station 102 is illustrated in accordance with variousembodiments. In general, the process 600 is employed with a base stationthat includes a combination of one or more of DC output terminals and aninductive output depending on the embodiment. The process 600 includes aseries of acts including decision points and activities. The decisionpoints can include an act 606 to determine whether the base stationincludes DC output terminals; an act 608 to determine whether the DCoutput terminals, if included, are enabled, an act 610 to determinewhether the base station includes an inductive output, an act 612 todetermine whether the inductive output, if included, is enabled, and anact 614 to determine whether a portable charge is located on the basestation.

As explained in detail below, the illustrated embodiment includes thefollowing activities in the process 600: an act 602 in which the basestation is in a powered off state, an act 604 to initialize the basestation for the charging operation, an act 616 to place the base stationin an induction output only mode, an act 618 to enable the DC output forcharging, an act 620 to place the base station in a DC output only mode,an act 622 to enable inductive sensing, an act 624 to operate the basestation in the inductive sensing mode, an act 626 to disable theinductive power transmission feature, and an act 628 to enable theinductive power transmission feature.

According to the illustrated embodiment, the process 600 starts at act602 with the base station in a powered off state. An initialization ofthe base station for operation begins at act 604 when the base stationis powered on. The process 600 moves to the act 606 and determineswhether the base station includes DC output terminals. If it isdetermined that the base station includes DC output terminals, theprocess moves to the act 608 to determine whether the DC output isenabled. If the DC output terminals are enabled, the process 600 movesto act 610 to determine whether the base station also includes aninductive charging output. If the base station includes an inductiveoutput, the process 600 moves to act 612 to determine whether theinductive output is enabled.

At this point in the process 600, the output configuration of the basestation is known, for example, whether the base station includes DCoutput terminals and/or an inductive output. The process 600 is alsoemployed to configure the operating state of the outputs. As mentionedabove, the process 600 moves from act 600 to act 616 if the base stationdoes not include DC output terminals. Where the base station is placedin the inductive charging only mode at act 616, the process 600 moves toact 612 to determine whether the inductive output is enabled. Further,if at act 610 the base station is found not to include an inductiveoutput, the process moves to act 620 where the base station is placed inDC output only mode.

With the configuration of the base station determined, the process 600operates to activate the outputs included in the base station. Forexample, if at act 608 the DC output included in the base station is notenabled, the process 600 moves to act 618 to enable the DC output. Theprocess 600 then moves to act 604 and initialization. Similarly, if atact 612 the inductive output included in the base station is notenabled, the process 600 moves to act 622 to enable inductive sensing.With inductive sensing enabled the base station detects when a portablecharger is physically located such that the charger can be inductivelycharged via the base station. The process then moves to act 604 andinitialization.

With the outputs included in the base station enabled (and provided thatthe base station is not operating in DC output only mode), the processmoves from act 612 to act 624 to operate the inductive sensing includedin the base station. With inductive sensing operational, the process 600moves to act 614 to determine whether a portable charger is locatedadjacent (for example, placed on) the base station such that aninductive coupling can be established to charge the portable charger viathe base station. If an adjacent portable charger is not detected, theprocess moves to act 626 and the inductive power transmission isdisabled. If an adjacent portable charger is detected, the process 600moves to act 628 where the inductive power transmission feature isenabled.

The examples provided by the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6are non-limiting because the same and/or other acts can be employed invarious combinations depending on the embodiment. For example, differentsequences of the illustrated acts can be provided. In still furtherembodiments, one or more of the illustrated acts can be replaced and/orremoved from the process.

Referring now to FIG. 7, a system 700 including a network operatingenvironment for monitoring and management of portable power chargers isillustrated in accordance with one embodiment. Access to variousportions of the system 700 via the network is available to a pluralityof different entities. In various embodiments, the system 700 isutilized by one or more companies that deploy portable power chargers(i.e., system operator(s)), a provider of a managed cloud service (i.e.,a system administrator) and a plurality of end users.

According to one embodiment, the system operator and the systemadministrator are the same entity. According to an alternate embodiment,the system administrator is a third party that integrates thecloud-based resources into the portable power charging system as aservice to one or more the system administrators. For example, systemoperators can include separate university systems and the systemadministrator provides each university system with their own set ofportable power chargers that each university manages and monitorsindependent of the other universities. Thus, the cloud-based resourcesillustrated and described with reference to FIG. 7 can be securelyemployed by a plurality of distinct entities. The preceding and otheraspects and embodiments are described in co-owned U.S. Ser. No.15/614,737, filed Jun. 6, 2017 and entitled “Apparatus, System andMethod for Sharing Tangible Objects” which is incorporated by referenceherein in its entirety

According to the illustrated embodiment, the system 700 includescloud-based resources 702, a plurality of portable power chargers 704A,704B, 704C, an access device 706, a monitoring device 708 and a clientdevice 710. The system 700 also includes a plurality of communicationnetworks including a first communication network 712, a secondcommunication network 714, a third communication network 716 and afourth communication network 718.

In the illustrated embodiment, the cloud-based resources 702 include auser management module 720, a device activation module 722 and a systemmonitoring and management module 724. The cloud-based resources 702 caninclude additional features and functionality in various embodiments,for example, features as shown and described as shown with reference toFIG. 4 of co-owned U.S. application Ser. No. 15/614,737. According toone embodiment, the cloud-based resources 702 include a databaseconfigured to store information concerning one or more of the status,location and health of the portable power chargers 704A, 704B, 704C.

Depending on the embodiment, the portable power chargers 704A, 704B,704C include one or more of an AC charging outlet 730, at least one USBcharging outlet 732 and an inductive charger 734. For example, accordingto one embodiment, the portable power chargers 704A, 704B, 704C includethe AC charging outlet 730 and the at least one USB charging outlet 732but do not include the inductive charger 734. Other combinations of thecharging outlet 730, the at least one USB charging outlet 732 and theinductive charger 734 can be employed together or in combination withother types of charging outputs suitable for charging end-user mobiledevices.

The voltage provided at the AC charging outlet 730 can vary depending onthe embodiment. In one embodiment, the AC charging outlet 730 provides a120 VAC, for example, as found at residential wall outlets in the U.S.In another embodiment, the AC charging outlet 730 provides 220 VAC, forexample, as found at residential wall outlets in Europe. The precedingvoltages are nominal voltage such that the actual voltage provided bythe AC charging outlet 730 can vary slightly about the rated outputlevel depending, for example, on the regulation of the output and theload placed on the output.

According to some embodiments, each of the portable power chargers 704A,704B, 704C includes a wireless communication device, for example, aBLUETOOTH device or a BLUETOOTH low energy device that allows wirelesscommunication between the chargers and the monitoring device 708. Thewireless communication is also employed for wireless communicationbetween the portable power chargers 704A, 704B, 704C and the clientdevice 710.

According to one embodiment, the portable power chargers 704A, 704B,704C are docked in an enclosure 740 when they are not being employed byan end user. The enclosure 740 includes a plurality of bays 742 whereeach bay 742 is configured to receive one of the portable power chargers704A, 704B, 704C. According to a further embodiment, each bay 742includes a first connector configured to receive a second connectorlocated in the housing of each portable power charger 704A, 704B, 704C.In some embodiments, the plug includes both power and communicationconductors. In one embodiment, the first connector and the secondconnector are configured as a male plug and a female receptacle,respectively. According to another embodiment, communication with theportable power chargers 704A, 704B, 704C is provided using wirelesscommunication. In a version of this embodiment, the connector includesonly power conductors and does not include communication conductors.

According to one embodiment, the power conductors are connected to asource of AC charging power employed to charge any of the plurality ofpower chargers 704A, 704B, 704C that are docked in one of the bays 742.For example, the source of AC charging power can be provided from a walloutlet rated at 120 VAC or 220 VAC. Where hardwired communication isemployed, the communication conductors are connected to the monitoringdevice 708 and also to any of the plurality of power chargers 704A,704B, 704C that are docked in one of the bays 742. The communicationconnection to the plurality of power chargers 704A, 704B, 704C whendocked provides the monitoring device 708 with information concerningthe status of the connected portable power chargers. According to analternate embodiment, the status information is wirelessly communicatedAccording to one embodiment, the status information is wirelesslycommunicated from the monitoring device 708 to the cloud-based resources702.

Each of the portable power chargers 704A, 704B, 704C includes aninternal battery and power conversion circuitry. Depending on theembodiment, the power conversion circuitry can include any one of, allof or a combination of two or more of: circuitry to convert an AC inputto DC to charge the internal battery; circuitry to convert the batterypower to an AC output supplied to the AC charging outlet 730; powerconversion circuitry to condition the battery power for distribution viathe at least one USB charging outlet 732; and power conversion circuitryto condition the battery power for supply to the inductive charger 734.In some embodiments, each of the portable power chargers 704A, 704B,704C include the AC charging outlet 730, the at least one USB chargingoutlet 732 and the inductive charger 734 configured as shown anddescribed with reference to the portable charger 206 illustrated in FIG.2. Thus, in some embodiments, the source of power available at the ACcharging outlet 730 is a high-current AC power; the at least one USBcharging outlet 732 includes a conventional USB port rated at 5 VDC upto 3 Amps and a “quickcharge” USB port, for example, Qualcomm® QuickCharge® technology; and the inductive charger 734 includes a coilemployed to generate and wirelessly transmit a high frequency AC powersignal.

The access device 706 is operated by the system operator to monitor andmanage the portable power chargers 704A, 704B, 704C. The functionalitycan provide the system operator with information including usagestatistics, a projected life of the internal battery included in aportable power charger 704A, 704B, 704C, a current charge status of theinternal battery and a location of the portable power chargers 704A,704B, 704C. Depending on the embodiment, the access device 706 caninclude any of a desktop computer or a portable device such as a tabletcomputer, a hand-held computer, a personal digital assistant, ane-reader, a mobile telephone, a smart phone, a laptop computer, or acombination of any two or more of these processing devices and/or otherprocessing devices provided that the access device 706 gives the systemoperator access to the cloud-based resources 702, a display andnavigation tools to allow the system operator to utilize the resources702. According to further embodiments, the system 700 also allows thesystem operator to control elements of system via the cloud-basedresources 702. For example, the system administrator can set varioustypes and amounts of collateral required to activate the portable powerchargers 704A, 704B, 704C, and/or deactivate user accounts to preventaccess by unauthorized users.

In one embodiment, the monitoring device 708 is a tablet computer.However, depending on the embodiment, the monitoring device 708 can be,for example any type of processing device suitable for remotecommunication such as a desktop computer, a tablet computer, a hand-heldcomputer, a personal digital assistant, an e-reader, a mobile telephone,a camera, a smart phone, a laptop computer, or a combination of any twoor more of these processing devices and/or other processing devices. Infurther embodiments, the monitoring device 708 is included as a part ofthe enclosure 740. For example, the monitoring device 708 can be anembedded computer included in the enclosure 740. In one embodiment, themonitoring device 708 can wirelessly communicate with the portable powerchargers 704A, 704B, 704C that are within range of the wirelesscommunication device employed for communication between the monitoringdevice and chargers, for example, BLUETOOTH or Wi-Fi.

In one embodiment, the client device 710 is a mobile phone. However,depending on the embodiment, the client device 710 can be, for exampleany of a portable device such as a tablet computer, a hand-heldcomputer, a personal digital assistant, an e-reader, a mobile telephone,a smart phone, a media player, a navigation device, an e-mail device, agame console, a laptop computer, or a combination of any two or more ofthese processing devices and/or other processing devices provided thatthe client device 710 can operate to communicate with the cloud-basedresources 702 to allow the user to provide their identity and collateraland to receive an authorization to activate a portable power charger704A, 704B, 704C.

Depending on the embodiment, the communication networks 712, 714, 716,718 can include any of local-area networks (LANs), wide area networks(WANs), wireless communication, wired communication and may include theInternet. According to further embodiments, the communication networksprovides access to one or more remote devices, servers, applicationresource management and/or data storage systems either alone or incombination with the cloud-based resources 702. Communication in thesystem 700 can occur using any of Wi-Fi networks, Bluetoothcommunication, cellular networks, satellite communication, Ethernet andpeer-to-peer networks. Other communication protocols and topologies canalso be implemented as a part of the communication networks 712, 714,716, 718 in accordance with various embodiments. The communicationnetworks 712, 714, 716, 718 can be any network topology as known tothose of ordinary skill in the art capable of supporting the operationsdescribed herein.

According to the illustrated embodiment, the access device 706 connectsto the cloud-based resources 702 via the first communication network 712the monitoring device 708 connects to the cloud-based resources via thesecond communication network 714, the client device 710 connects to thecloud-based resources via the third communication network 716 and themonitoring device connects to the enclosure 740 via the fourthcommunication network 718. According to one embodiment, the enclosure740 does not include any communication. According to this embodiment,the fourth communication network is employed for communication directlybetween the monitoring device 708 and the portable power chargers 704A,704B, 704C. The communication networks 712, 714, 716, 718 can includeone or more segments that are common to one another. As one example, thesecond communication network 714 and the third communication network 716may include a common Wi-Fi network that operates in the vicinity of theenclosure 740. In other embodiments, network segments are distinct fromone another. For example, the fourth communication network 718 caninclude a communication connection provided between the monitoringdevice 708 and each of the portable power chargers 704B, 704C that arein the proximity of the enclosure 740.

According to one embodiment, the user management module 720 is employedto receive and approve identification information provided by end users,for example, when an end user creates an account by providing a username and password. The user management module 720 can also be employedto store payment or other account information that is employed toprovide collateral for the end user to activate one of the portablepower chargers 704A, 704B, 704C.

According to one embodiment, the device activation module 722 isemployed to process activation requests received when an end userremoves the portable power charger 704A from the enclosure 740 toactivate the charger for use. Depending on the embodiment, theactivation request can include information that uniquely identifies theuser, information that uniquely identifies the charger and, whererequired, collateral provided by the user. In one embodiment, the deviceactivation module 722 also generates a device activation signal if theuser request is approved. In a further embodiment, the device activationmodule 722 also communicates messaging to the end user, for example,indicating an approval or denial of a request to activate the portablepower charger 704A.

According to one embodiment, the system monitoring and management module724 is employed to provide the system operator with informationconcerning one or more of the status, location and health of theportable power chargers 704A, 704B, 704C. In one embodiment, the systemmonitoring and management module provides an indication of whether eachof the portable chargers is docked in the enclosure, or alternative hasbeen removed by a user. Further embodiments provide informationincluding one or more of usage statistics, a projected life of theinternal battery and a current charge status of the internal battery.

In operation and according to one embodiment, the system operatordeploys the portable power chargers 704A, 704B, 704C on-site in theenclosure 740. The enclosure 740 is connected to a source of AC andmonitoring is activated via the monitoring device 708 and cloud-basedresources 702. The monitoring device 708 wirelessly communicates witheach of the portable power chargers 704A, 704B, 704C, for example, toobtain status information. Depending on the embodiment in addition tothe types of status information described in the preceding paragraph,status information can include any one of the following types ofinformation, any combination of the following or any combination of thefollowing and other types of information: battery characteristics suchas the nominal battery voltage, the battery input current when thebattery is being charged, and the battery output voltage when supplyingcurrent to a user device; and any of the types of status informationdescribed in the preceding paragraph.

Information communicated from the monitoring device 708 to thecloud-based resources is stored for access by the system operator 706.The system operator establishes conditions by which end users canactivate the portable power chargers 704A, 704B, 704C for use, forexample, whether and what type of collateral is required for use. In oneembodiment, a payment is required in advance. According to anotherembodiment, an authenticated user identity alone is sufficient, forexample, where a university providers chargers to students as acourtesy.

A user removes a charger 704A from the enclosure 740 and locatesinformation on the charger's housing that uniquely identifies thecharger. The user employs the client device 710 to communicate theiridentity along with the identity of the charger to the cloud-basedresources 702. Where the user is approved, a device activation signal iscommunicated from the cloud-resources 702 to the client device 710. Theclient device 710 communicates the device activation signal to thecharger that was identified in their request. The charging power outputs730, 732 and 734 are activated for use. The end user operates theportable power charger to employ the desired charging power outlet bestsuited to their device. When the charging process is completed, theportable power charger 704A is returned to the enclosure andcommunicates that status change to the system monitoring and managementmodule 724. The end user is then released from responsibility for thechargers return. The monitoring device 708 detects the return of theportable power charger 704A. The system operator is able to monitorwhether and which of the chargers 704A, 704B, 704C are docked in theenclosure 740 at any time. Thus, the system operator is aware should theuser fail to return a charger following use.

While the enclosure 740 is illustrated and described in an embodiment inwhich the plurality of portable power chargers 704A, 704B, 704C arehoused therein other approaches can be employed in various alternateembodiments. For example, the plurality of portable power chargers 704A,704B, 704C can be received in other forms of docking station providedthat, when stored or docked, the chargers receive power to rechargetheir internal batteries, respectively. According to one embodiment,inductive charging is employed to recharge the portable power chargers704A, 704B, 704C, for example, in a manner shown and described abovewith reference to FIGS. 1-6.

Embodiments of the apparatus, methods and systems described herein canbe employed to provide distributed AC power in new or existingfacilities.

Having thus described several aspects of at least one embodiment of thisinvention, it is to be appreciated various alterations, modifications,and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Suchalterations, modifications, and improvements are intended to be part ofthis disclosure, and are intended to be within the spirit and scope ofthe invention. Accordingly, the foregoing description and drawings areby way of example only.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for remote monitoring and management ofchargers providing an AC output in a portable, hand-held form factor,the monitoring and management functionality accessible to a systemoperator over a wide area network, the system comprising: a plurality ofportable chargers each including an internal battery, a first chargingoutput coupled to the internal battery and configured to provide ACcharging power and at least one additional charging output coupled tothe internal battery, the at least one additional charging outputincluding at least one of: an inductive charger and a plug-in DCcharger; and an enclosure coupled to a source of AC power suitable forrecharging the plurality of portable chargers, the enclosure including aplurality of bays each configured to receive one of the plurality ofportable chargers, respectively, each of the plurality of bays includingan electrical connection configured to couple to the internal battery ofthe respective portable charger to provide power to recharge theinternal battery; and resources accessible to the system operator overthe wide area network to allow the system operator to monitor and managean operation of the plurality of portable chargers, the resourcesincluding: a device activation module configured to permit users toactivate a charger selected from the plurality of portable chargersfollowing a receipt of collateral provided by the user via a clientdevice, the device activation resulting in charging power being madeavailable at each of the first charging output and the at least oneadditional charging output; and a system monitoring module configured toprovide the system operator with information concerning an operationalstatus of each of the plurality of portable chargers, the operationalstatus including at least one of: usage statistics, a projected life ofthe internal battery, and a current charge status of the internalbattery.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the client device is a firstwireless communication device configured to wirelessly couple to theresources.
 3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a secondwireless communication device configured to wirelessly couple to theplurality of portable chargers, wherein the second wirelesscommunication device is configured to wirelessly communicate theinformation concerning the operational status to the system monitoringmodule.
 4. The system of claim 3, wherein the device activation moduleis configured to communicate a device activation signal to the clientdevice, and wherein the charger selected from the plurality of chargersis configured to provide power at the first charging output and at theat least one additional charging output when the device activationsignal is received from the client device.
 5. The system of claim 4,wherein the device activation module is configured to maintain thecharger selected from the plurality of chargers in an off-state pendingan acceptance of the collateral provided by the user.
 6. The system ofclaim 5, wherein the device activation module is configurable by thesystem operator to accept collateral of a pre-determined type selectedby the system operator.
 7. The system of claim 6, wherein thepre-determined type of collateral includes at least one of: a monetarypayment; an interaction by the user with content hosted on the resourcesand delivered to the client device; an authenticated identity of theuser; and payment-account information of the user.
 8. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the resources include a user management moduleconfigured to allow each of a plurality of users to establish an accountto uniquely identity the user, respectively, and wherein the usermanagement module is accessible to the system operator to establish oneor more permissions for each of the plurality of users, the permissionsestablished by the system operator based on conditions including atleast one of: acceptance of a user identity; an identification of ageographic location of the plurality of portable chargers accessible tothe respective user; and a venue accessible to the respective user. 9.The system of claim 1, wherein the first charging output is configuredto provide 120 VAC charging power rated at 75 Watts or greater.
 10. Amethod of remotely monitoring and managing, over a wide area network, anoperation and deployment of a plurality of portable chargers eachincluding an internal battery, each of the plurality of portablechargers providing an AC output in a hand-held form factor, themonitoring and managing provided by a system operator, the methodcomprising: including a device activation module and a system monitoringmodule in resources accessible to the system operator over the wide areanetwork; processing collateral received by the resources from a clientdevice possessed by a user interested in activating an AC outputincluded in a charger selected by the user from the plurality ofportable chargers; and if the collateral is accepted: wirelesslycommunicating an authorization from the device activation module to theclient device; receiving, by the charger selected by the user, a deviceactivation signal wirelessly communicated from the client devicefollowing a receipt of the authorization; activating the AC outputincluded in the charger selected by the user following a receipt of thedevice activation signal; coupling each of the plurality of portablechargers to a wireless communication device when the plurality ofchargers are deployed; and receiving, by the system monitoring module,information communicated wirelessly from the wireless communicationdevice the information concerning an operational status of each of theplurality of portable chargers, the operational status including atleast one of: usage statistics, a projected life of the internalbattery, and a current charge status of the internal battery.
 11. Themethod of claim 10, wherein the client device is a first wirelesscommunication device, wherein the method further comprises: providing asecond wireless communication device configured to wirelessly couple tothe plurality of portable chargers; and wirelessly communicating theinformation concerning the operational status to the system monitoringmodule via the second wireless device.
 12. The method of claim 11,further comprising maintaining the charger selected by the user in anoff-state pending an acceptance of the collateral provided by the user.13. The method of claim 12, further comprising configuring the deviceactivation module to accept collateral of a pre-determined type selectedby the system operator.
 14. The method of claim 13, further comprisingaccepting collateral including at least one of: a monetary payment; aninteraction by the user with content hosted on the resources anddelivered to the client device; an authenticated identity of the user;and payment-account information of the user.
 15. The method of claim 10,further comprising: including a user management module in the resourcesaccessible to the system operator over the wide area network, the usermanagement module configured to allow each of a plurality of users toestablish an account to uniquely identity the user, respectively, andestablishing one or more permissions for each of the plurality of users,the permissions established by the system operator based on conditionsincluding at least one of: acceptance of a user identity; anidentification of a geographic location of the plurality of portablechargers accessible to the respective user; and a venue accessible tothe respective user.
 16. The method of claim 10, further comprisingconfiguring the AC output to provide 120 VAC charging power rated at 75Watts or greater.
 17. A system for remote monitoring and management ofchargers providing an AC output in a portable, hand-held form factor,the monitoring and management functionality accessible to a systemoperator over a wide area network, the system comprising: a plurality ofportable chargers each including an internal battery, a first chargingoutput coupled to the internal battery and configured to provide ACcharging power and at least one additional charging output coupled tothe internal battery, the at least one additional charging outputincluding at least one of: an inductive charger and a plug-in DCcharger; and resources accessible to the system operator over the widearea network to allow the system operator to monitor and manage anoperation of the plurality of portable chargers, the resourcesincluding: a device activation module configured to permit users toactivate a charger selected from the plurality of portable chargersfollowing a receipt of collateral provided by the user via a clientdevice, the device activation resulting in charging power being madeavailable at each of the first charging output and the at least oneadditional charging output; and a system monitoring module configured toprovide the system operator with information concerning an operationalstatus of each of the plurality of portable chargers, the operationalstatus including at least one of: usage statistics, a projected life ofthe internal battery, and a current charge status of the internalbattery.
 18. The system of claim 17, wherein the client device is afirst wireless communication device, wherein the system furthercomprises a second wireless communication device configured towirelessly couple to the plurality of portable chargers, and wherein thesecond wireless communication device is configured to wirelesslycommunicate the information concerning the operational status to thesystem monitoring module.
 19. The system of claim 17, wherein the deviceactivation module is configurable by the system operator to acceptcollateral of a pre-determined type selected by the system operator. 20.The system of claim 19, wherein the pre-determined type of collateralincludes at least one of: a monetary payment; an interaction by the userwith content hosted on the resources and delivered to the client device;an authenticated identity of the user; and payment-account informationof the user.